Argentina advances to Copa America quarterfinals
After nearly 90 minutes of total domination, Lionel Messi and de‐ fending champion Argentina ad‐ vanced to the Copa America quarterfinals after the ball rico‐ cheted in front of the net during a frantic scramble that led to the breakthrough.
Lautaro Martínez scored off the last in a series of rebounds in the 88th minute, lifting the Albiceleste over Chile 1‐0 on Tuesday night and into the quarterfinals with a game to spare.
"The ball ended up right at me and I was able to convert it," said Martínez, who scored the second goal in last week's opening 2‐0 win over Canada.
Messi started the leadup to the goal with a corner kick that was sent sent toward goal with a glancing header by defender Lisandro Martínez. The ball landed in front of goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, where Argentina's Giovani Lo Celso and Chile's Nicolás Fernández were wrestling. Lo Celso kicked the ball off Bravo and it rebounded to Chile's Igor Lichnovsky, who tried to poke it wide.
Lautaro Martínez, who entered in the 73rd, calmly one‐timed that rebound into the roof of the net on Argentina's 21st shot. Players stood and waited for three min‐ utes while the goal, Martínez's 26th for the national team, was confirmed in a video review.
Argentina leads Group A with six points, followed by Canada with three, and Chile and Peru with one each. The Albiceleste finish the first round against Peru at Miami Gardens, Florida, on Saturday, when Canada meets Chile in Or‐ lando, Florida.
Playing a day after his 37th birthday, Messi frequently flaunted his talent to spin around and slalom through defenders be‐ fore an adoring sellout crowd of 81,106 at MetLife Stadium, site of the 2026 World Cup final. Ar‐ gentina dominated 22‐3 in shots and 11‐0 in corner kicks. Chile didn't take its first attempt until the 72nd minute.
Messi came the closest to scor‐ ing before Martínez with a 30‐ yard shot that glanced off the post to Bravo's left in the 36th minute. Messi had received treatment on the thigh area of his right leg for nearly two minutes after getting kicked by Gabriel Suazo in the 24th.
On the 46th anniversary of Ar‐ gentina's first World Cup title, the teams returned to the stadium where Chile beat Argentina on penalty kicks in the 2016 Copa America final. That defeat prompted Messi to announce his international retirement only to reverse his decision seven weeks later.
There were some small brown patches behind one goal on a grass field installed at a stadium where the usual surface is artifi‐ cial turf. The surface was narrow, with construction scheduled to allow a wider field for the World Cup.
Bravo, at 41 the oldest player in Copa America history, had eight saves in his 150th international appearance. He and Messi, former Barcelona teammates, spoke with each other while leading their teams onto the field for the na‐ tional anthems.
Canada beats Peru 1‑0 at Copa America on David goal, first win over South American team in 24 years
Jonathan David scored in the 74th minute, and Canada beat Peru 1‐0 on Tuesday night in the Copa America for its first victory over a South American opponent in 24 years.
Peru played a man short after Miguel Araujo was given a red card in the 59th minute for a studs‐up tackle on Jacob Shaffel‐ burg, a call made after a video re‐ view.
Canada got its first win in four matches under Jesse Marsch, the American hired as coach last month, and beat a South American team for the first time since a 2‐0 victory over Colombia in the 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup final.
David's goal, his 27th for Canada, ended the national team's 391‐ minute scoreless streak. Twenty‐ six of his goals have come in competitive matches.
The game was paused in first‐ half stoppage time when an assis‐ tant referee running on the non‐shaded part of the stadium collapsed and needed medical at‐ tention. He got to his feet briefly and was taken off the field in a stretcher. He had been running down the line on the non‐shaded part of the stadium.
Peru reached the semifinals in 2021 before losing to Brazil. It had failed to score in nine of its last 12 matches.
David scored after Cyle Larin made a long outlet pass to Shaffel‐ burg, who crossed. David took two touches and beat goalkeeper Pedro Gallese from near the penalty spot, sending the ball in off the far post. David is two be‐ hind Larin, Canada's career scor‐ ing leader.
Canada goalkeeper Maxime Cré‐ peau made a diving save in sec‐ ond‐half stoppage time, then punched away a free kick.